This store has intrigued me for years, ever since I first saw this photo in Shopping Centers: Design and Operation (1950, Baker and Funaro). Not only is it a beautiful building, but it’s part of a chain I know next to nothing about.

A quick scan of Google Maps suggests that the store is still standing, although I imagine it’s somewhat altered. I believe it may currently house a Goodwill store. There was also at least one more branch, apparently also still standing, at Youree and Albert.

And that’s the sum total of my knowledge of Big Chain stores in Shreveport.

Comments

I remember going into the grocery store in the early 70s but it may have been called something else by then. It’s on Youree Dr. across the corner from the A.C. Steere Elementary. On the far south corner was once a bank – I think the drive thru window may still be there ~ I’ll have to look next time I drive by. The much missed Broadmoor Drug Store was between the bank (now a discount mattress store) and the Big Chain. The Big Chain has been a furniture store and the last thing was a beauty school. There was a fire a couple of years ago that took out the building from the Big Chain area all the way to the right side of the building.

Big Chain was a grocery store chain in the Shreveport area. I remember this store, Jewella Rd. and Lakeshore Dr., from childhood in the 50′s. Around the right side of the picture there was the Big Chain Cafeteria. The chain was eventually bought out by Kroger.

I was born in Shreveport in 1963, my mom and step dad were born in S’port in 1943. We were reminiscing about the old Big Chain Groc. and Mom brought up the chocolate cake with choc and white icing. She was drooling! That’s how we ended up here. Did any of you graduate in the late 50s to early 60s from Byrd?

I grew up on lakeshore drive about 4 houses down from big chain. I had a paper route and passed by the store every morning to get to my paper box.
They used to have all there donuts delivered early in the am, and stacked outside the side door.
One morning I saw a police man get out of his car, get some donuts and leave.
Next day, I did the same and he caught me.
He took me home, told my mother what I had done.I told her I learned it from him.
End of story.
After my moms scolding, neither one of us did it again.

While James H. says the grew up about four doors down from this store, I lived just a couple of blocks farther down Lakeshore Drive–between West College and Dilg (pronounced Dell) League Drive. I was born in 1953 and remember this store well.

I also remember that we had an A&P store on Greenwood Road in Shreveport back in the 50′s and ’60s. About five miles or so from the store shown here. It was a much simpler time, and Northwest Louisiana was a wonderful place in which to grow up. It’s funny how something as innocuous as a smell can transport you instantly back to your childhood. The smell of 8 o’clock coffee being ground in that A&P is something I will never forget. In fact, I think it’s a significant part of the reason I’m a coffee drinker today.

My favorite Big Chain store was the one on Fairfield across from what is now the State Office Bldg. The bldg. is still standing and last time I went by there it was a paint store. The manager was a super nice man named Mr. Marion. I was a real little kid and I remember asking if we could go see Mr. Marion. There was a balcony in the back if I remember correctly and he could stand there to see everything. There was also one on the corner of Kings Highway and Highland that had red posts with concrete bases and were really fun to climb on. The Big Chain downtown on Texas Street had a cafeteria upstairs. The Big Chain bakery was the best!!

Many people who follow defunct grocery store chains do not know that Penn Fruit Co of Philadelphia ,which at one time had 72 stores, also owned Ralphs Garden and Lawn centers. They purchased the company from the Gaudio family around 1966, or 1967, . It was a very successful purchase for Penn Fruit. After Penn Fruit filed for chapter 7 in 1975 the Gaudio stores were kept open until the early 1985. Many people also are unaware the Penn Fruit had 10 stores in Baltimore and 2 stores in Staten Island NY. ALSO they operated about ten stores in North Jersey until they were sold to Hills of Long Island NY. I know because I worked for Penn Fruit when all this happened.

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